Buffered Vitamin C Integrative Therapeutics Guide

Name: Buffered Vitamin C
Brand: Integrative Therapeutics
SKU: IT-216006
Price: 15.25 USD
Availability: InStock

Explore Buffered Vitamin C by Integrative Therapeutics — 1,000 mg gentle ascorbic acid per capsule for immune support, antioxidant defense, and collagen health.

Overview

Buffered Vitamin C Integrative Therapeutics: Gentle, High-Potency Antioxidant Support

Buffered Vitamin C from Integrative Therapeutics provides an excellent source of Vitamin C, delivering one gram (1,000 mg) of ascorbic acid in each capsule for effective antioxidant support. Unlike standard ascorbic acid supplements, this gentle, well-tolerated formula uses buffered ingredients — Calcium carbonate and Magnesium carbonate — to reduce the acidity that can sometimes cause gastrointestinal discomfort.

This formulation is designed to bolster a healthy immune system while promoting the maintenance of healthy skin, collagen, and connective tissues. It is gluten-free, vegan, and contains no dairy, salt, soy, wheat, or artificial colors or flavors.

How It Works

Why Buffering Matters and How This Formula Supports Your Body

Ascorbic acid is a potent water-soluble antioxidant, but its acidic nature can sometimes irritate sensitive stomachs. By combining ascorbic acid with Calcium carbonate and Magnesium carbonate, Buffered Vitamin C Integrative Therapeutics delivers the same antioxidant potency in a gentler format. These mineral carbonates help neutralize acidity, making the formula well-tolerated even for those with digestive sensitivity.

Vitamin C functions physiologically as a powerful reducing agent, scavenging reactive oxygen species in aqueous cellular compartments and plasma. Research suggests it also regenerates the antioxidant form of vitamin E at membrane interfaces, extending the body's overall antioxidant network.

As an essential cofactor for prolyl hydroxylase and lysyl hydroxylase enzymes, Vitamin C plays an indispensable role in collagen biosynthesis — the process that keeps skin, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and other connective tissues structurally sound. Without adequate Vitamin C, these enzymes cannot properly hydroxylate collagen precursors, which is why the vitamin is so closely tied to skin elasticity and connective tissue integrity.

The formula also includes Ascorbyl palmitate, a lipophilic (fat-soluble) derivative of Vitamin C. Its amphipathic structure allows it to integrate into lipid environments where water-soluble Vitamin C cannot reach, providing complementary antioxidant coverage.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) — 1,000 mg

Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient that functions as one of the body's most important antioxidants and enzymatic cofactors. Research demonstrates that it directly scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS) in aqueous cellular compartments and plasma, and regenerates the antioxidant form of vitamin E at membrane interfaces. As an essential cofactor for prolyl hydroxylase and lysyl hydroxylase, Vitamin C is required for the hydroxylation of proline and lysine residues in procollagen — the foundational mechanism for stable collagen triple-helix formation. This makes it critical for the maintenance of skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and all connective tissues. Deficiency leads to scurvy, characterized by defective collagen synthesis and connective tissue breakdown. Studies suggest Vitamin C supports multiple components of both innate and adaptive immunity, including antimicrobial and natural killer cell activities, lymphocyte proliferation, and chemotaxis. A Cochrane review of 29 trials involving over 11,000 participants found that regular supplementation modestly reduces the duration of colds (8% in adults, 14% in children), though it does not prevent colds in the general population. Research also suggests Vitamin C supports skin elasticity by increasing collagen mRNA expression in skin fibroblasts, while clinical studies show it may help reduce fine lines, improve skin texture, and protect against photoaging.

Calcium (as Calcium carbonate) — 20 mg

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, with more than 99% stored in bone as hydroxyapatite. In this buffered formula, Calcium carbonate serves a dual purpose: it contributes a small amount of elemental Calcium and acts as an alkaline buffering agent that reduces the acidity of ascorbic acid, helping make the supplement gentler on the stomach. Calcium is widely involved in cell signaling, muscle contraction, neuronal transmission, and bone metabolism. Research suggests that Magnesium deficiency is associated with elevated oxidative stress markers, and Calcium's role as a buffering mineral helps maintain the formula's tolerability. Calcium is regulated by parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, and vitamin D, forming a tightly controlled endocrine axis that governs Calcium balance throughout life.

Magnesium (as Magnesium carbonate) — 12 mg

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant cation in the human body and a critical cofactor in more than 300 enzymatic reactions that regulate energy metabolism, neuromuscular function, and immune defense. In this formula, Magnesium carbonate acts as a buffering agent alongside Calcium carbonate, neutralizing the acidity of ascorbic acid for improved gastrointestinal tolerability. Magnesium is essential for immune competence, serving as a cofactor in immune cell activation and inflammatory signaling. Clinical meta-analyses suggest Magnesium supplementation produces a statistically significant reduction in C-reactive protein (CRP), supporting an anti-inflammatory effect. Research also indicates that Magnesium deficiency is consistently associated with elevated oxidative stress markers and weakened antioxidant defenses, with low Mg²⁺ promoting mitochondrial dysfunction and excessive reactive oxygen species production.

Ascorbyl palmitate

Ascorbyl palmitate is a lipophilic (fat-soluble) derivative of ascorbic acid formed by an ester bond between ascorbic acid and palmitic acid. Its amphipathic structure — combining a hydrophilic ascorbate moiety with a lipophilic 16-carbon fatty acid chain — allows it to position itself at oil-water interfaces and within cell membranes, providing antioxidant protection in environments that water-soluble Vitamin C cannot reach. Research suggests Ascorbyl palmitate regenerates alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) after it has been oxidized by free radicals, providing a synergistic antioxidant effect. In vitro studies on human erythrocyte membranes demonstrated that Ascorbyl palmitate binds to cell surfaces in a dose-dependent manner, protecting membrane alpha-tocopherol from oxidation. An in vitro study on human foreskin fibroblast cultures demonstrated that Ascorbyl palmitate may stimulate collagen synthesis at lower concentrations than ascorbic acid. Preclinical research has also identified Ascorbyl palmitate as a potent inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome, with stronger inhibitory effects than ascorbic acid — a mechanism relevant to innate immune modulation — though these findings are from cell culture and animal models, not human clinical trials. When taken orally, Ascorbyl palmitate appears to be hydrolyzed in the digestive tract to ascorbic acid and palmitic acid, with the released ascorbic acid appearing to be as bioavailable as ascorbic acid alone.

Integrative Therapeutics

Buffered Vitamin C

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Buffered Vitamin C

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Ideal Users

Who May Benefit from Buffered Vitamin C

Buffered Vitamin C Integrative Therapeutics may be especially well-suited for individuals who want robust antioxidant and immune support but find standard ascorbic acid too harsh on their stomach. The buffered formulation with Calcium carbonate and Magnesium carbonate is designed to be well-tolerated.

This product may support those seeking to maintain healthy skin, collagen, and connective tissues. Research suggests Vitamin C is an essential cofactor for the enzymes responsible for collagen biosynthesis, making it relevant for anyone focused on skin elasticity and structural tissue maintenance.

Because the formula is vegan, gluten-free, and free of dairy, salt, soy, wheat, and artificial colors or flavors, it accommodates a wide range of dietary needs and preferences.

Usage

How to Take Buffered Vitamin C

Take 1 capsule daily or as recommended by a healthcare professional.

Each capsule delivers 1,000 mg of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), along with 20 mg of Calcium (as Calcium carbonate) and 12 mg of Magnesium (as Magnesium carbonate) as buffering agents. The bottle contains 60 capsules.

About the author

Written by Greg Howlett

Greg Howlett

Founder

Greg has spent over a decade helping customers choose the right natural-health products. He personally vets every formula we carry and writes these guides to cut through the marketing noise with practical, experience-based advice.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What makes Buffered Vitamin C different from regular Vitamin C supplements?

Buffered Vitamin C combines ascorbic acid with Calcium carbonate and Magnesium carbonate, which help neutralize the acidity of Vitamin C. This makes the formula gentler on the stomach and well-tolerated compared to unbuffered ascorbic acid. It also includes Ascorbyl palmitate, a fat-soluble form of Vitamin C that provides complementary antioxidant support.

How does Vitamin C support skin and collagen health?

Vitamin C is an essential cofactor for prolyl hydroxylase and lysyl hydroxylase — enzymes required for the hydroxylation of proline and lysine residues in procollagen, which is necessary for stable collagen triple-helix formation. Research suggests that without adequate Vitamin C, the body cannot properly synthesize collagen, which is the most abundant protein in the human body and a critical structural component of skin, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.

Is this product suitable for vegans and people with dietary restrictions?

Yes. Buffered Vitamin C is vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free. It contains no dairy, salt, soy, wheat, or artificial colors or flavors.

What role does Ascorbyl palmitate play in this formula?

Ascorbyl palmitate is a fat-soluble derivative of Vitamin C with an amphipathic structure that allows it to integrate into lipid environments where water-soluble Vitamin C cannot reach. Research suggests it scavenges reactive oxygen species in lipid compartments and may help regenerate vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) in cell membranes, providing synergistic antioxidant protection. When taken orally, it appears to be hydrolyzed to ascorbic acid and palmitic acid in the digestive tract.

How does Vitamin C support immune function?

Research suggests Vitamin C contributes to immune defense by supporting various cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system, including enhancing phagocytosis, supporting lymphocyte proliferation, and promoting the oxidant scavenging activity of the skin as a barrier against pathogens. Vitamin C accumulates in leukocytes and is rapidly consumed during infection. A Cochrane review found that regular supplementation modestly reduces common cold duration, though it does not prevent colds in the general population.

Why are Calcium and Magnesium included in this Vitamin C supplement?

The Calcium (as Calcium carbonate) and Magnesium (as Magnesium carbonate) in this formula serve primarily as buffering agents. They help neutralize the natural acidity of ascorbic acid, making the supplement gentler on the digestive system. While present in small amounts (20 mg Calcium and 12 mg Magnesium), both are essential minerals that play roles throughout the body, including supporting enzymatic reactions, immune cell function, and bone metabolism.

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